IMDb RATING
8.3/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
Life at home changes when a house-wife from a middle-class, conservative family in Calcutta gets a job as a saleswoman.Life at home changes when a house-wife from a middle-class, conservative family in Calcutta gets a job as a saleswoman.Life at home changes when a house-wife from a middle-class, conservative family in Calcutta gets a job as a saleswoman.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 1 nomination
Madhavi Mukherjee
- Arati Mazumder
- (as Madhabi Mukherjee)
Jaya Bachchan
- Bani
- (as Jaya Bhaduri)
Sefalika Devi
- Sarojini (Subrata's Mother)
- (as Shephalika Devi)
Haradhan Bannerjee
- Himangshu Mukherjee
- (as Haradhan Banerjee)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFifteen-year old Jaya Bhaduri's (later known as Jaya Bachchan) film debut and her only film with Satyajit Ray.
- GoofsWhen Priyogopal (Subrata's father) goes to visit his student Anupam Roychowdhury to ask for money he is shown having a conversation with Anupam in his office. When he is explaining his circumstance the camera shows him only sitting on a chair with his walking stick. In the very next scene when all the three characters are shown (third one being Anupam's wife ) the top of his walking stick has changed direction. The round bit on top was towards the right before and is turned to the left in the very next scene.
- Quotes
Arati: You wouldn't recognize me on the job.
Subrata Mazumdar: What about at home? Would I recognize you at home?
Arati: You don't recognize me? Tell me honestly.
[Subrata shakes his head no]
Arati: Why not?
Subrata Mazumdar: It all feels a bit unfamiliar. It feels a bit...
Arati: What about this?
[points at her cheek]
Arati: You don't recognize my mole? I'm still the same housewife.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Creative Artists of India: Satyajit Ray (1964)
Featured review
Absolute craftsmanship !!!
I haven't watched much of Satyajit Ray's films, but now I strongly have an urge to watch more and more.. My first Ray film was Charulata, which was once screened in our college film club. It too had Madhabi Mukherjee playing the title character, 'The lonely wife'.
After having finished watching Mahanagar, I felt that the lonely house wife I had seen earlier had achieved a sense of fulfillment..a sense of completion.The entire film is a microcosm of an typical urbane family of the 1960's Calcutta. The legendary city of Calcutta in the 1960's has been impressionistic-ally captured with all its charm as well as confusion.We can see some of the best well-scripted, realistic emotional sequences. An young Jayabhaduri too appears as the little sister of Mr. Mazumdar(The main character's husband). Madhabi Mukherjee again dons a intense character and proves her brilliance in acting.Now I have become impatient enough to watch Ray's Calcutta Trilogy and other films too.It is very difficult to get good prints of most of them.
Ray had based this film on Abataranika, a Bengali short story. All the actors have been handpicked-especially Anil Chatterjee and Haren Chatterjee-who played the role of Mr. Mazumdar and his father.The film was well-received at the 14th Berlin Festival and Ray won a Silver Bear for direction. Even though it was rejected at the Oscars, it received an All India merit certificate at the National awards that year.
After having finished watching Mahanagar, I felt that the lonely house wife I had seen earlier had achieved a sense of fulfillment..a sense of completion.The entire film is a microcosm of an typical urbane family of the 1960's Calcutta. The legendary city of Calcutta in the 1960's has been impressionistic-ally captured with all its charm as well as confusion.We can see some of the best well-scripted, realistic emotional sequences. An young Jayabhaduri too appears as the little sister of Mr. Mazumdar(The main character's husband). Madhabi Mukherjee again dons a intense character and proves her brilliance in acting.Now I have become impatient enough to watch Ray's Calcutta Trilogy and other films too.It is very difficult to get good prints of most of them.
Ray had based this film on Abataranika, a Bengali short story. All the actors have been handpicked-especially Anil Chatterjee and Haren Chatterjee-who played the role of Mr. Mazumdar and his father.The film was well-received at the 14th Berlin Festival and Ray won a Silver Bear for direction. Even though it was rejected at the Oscars, it received an All India merit certificate at the National awards that year.
helpful•80
- sreenathansaber
- Mar 17, 2014
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Big City: Mahanagar
- Filming locations
- RN Mukherjee Rd, Calcutta, West Bengal, India(closing shot: view of the city)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime2 hours 2 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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